Too Much Bluffing is Bad for You

The major reason why too much bluffing is bad for you is because it feels like it is good for you. If you're confused, don't worry - that's natural. In fact, the natural state of the human existence is counter to success in poker: it is ideas like this that are so successfully discussed in books like The Psychology of Poker and others. When it comes to bluffing and other risky poker plays, the reason it is bad for you is because it makes you feel good.

Have you ever wondered why everything that seems to make you feel good is bad for you - fried foods, chocolate, etc? Of course, it isn't that these things are bad for you all by themselves but rather the abuse of them is harmful. Too much of anything can hurt you, and too much bluffing and playing too many pots in poker will certainly put a hurting on your bank account. When you take a risk in poker it releases dopamine in your brain, waking you up and making you feel excited and elated. It is the desire to return to this state that can cause you to want to take risks in poker.

If you have read all the right poker books and played poker long enough that you know how you are supposed to be playing, yet find yourself still involved in too many pots and taking too many risks unsuccessfully, then you may benefit from exploring this idea. Understand that it is your desire to fuel the physical effects when you take risks. Once you are aware of this, you can focus on controlling this impulse. After all, discipline is key to being successful at game of poker.